And It All Started
by XxRoseAngelxX
Summary: My first fanfic! The traditional Kyo falls for Tohru, with a slight really big twist! Akito falls in love with Tohru, but will he win, or Kyo? Character death. Rate and review! completed at last! Rated T to be safe!
1. The Invitation

Tohru closed her eyes, picturing the stars above her._ It's so peaceful.._There was nothing left to do in the house, and Tohru had decided to take advantage of the clear skies that night to gaze at the stars. With all of the chaos in the Sohma household, there were not many oppurtunities such as this one. Now she lay on the roof directly above her bedroom, humming quietly to herself, cherishing the noises of the night.

There was a thump next to her as the window opened. 'Are you sure she's out there, Shigure?' Kyo's voice asked through the open window.

Then Shigure's voice. 'I saw her go onto the roof earlier. _Ooohhh_ maybe she's _planning_ something for Kyo-kun!'

Another thump was heard as Kyo slammed Shigure into the opposite wall. 'Nooo!! Kyo-kun hit me!! Kyo-kun hit me!!'

Tohru smiled. As much as she loved the quiet and peacefulness of the moment, she loved the chaos and noise inside the house even more. Ever since she had come to live with the Sohmas, her life had been happy. She had Yuki and Kyo and Shigure as family. Not to mention the other members of the Zodiac, most of whom had come to welcome Tohru as family. _Most of them..._

Her thoughts drifted to Akito, the head of the family. For a reason that Tohru still couldn't comprehend, he wanted her to stay away from the Sohmas and especially away from Kyo and Yuki. But it wasn't to protect her from the pain of knowing a member of the Zodiac. No. It was to harm her. In Akito's opinion, anyone who chooses freely to socialize and become close to a Sohma deserved to be punished severely. As long as Akito was unhappy, everyone else deserved to be unhappy.

'Hey, weirdo. Momiji's downstairs. Yelling something about a Mogeta special. Wants you down there now,' said Kyo as he poked Tohru in the forehead. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him climbing onto the roof to kneel next to her.

'AH! KYO-KUN! I'LL GO DOWN RIGHT AWAY!' she yelled as she bolted upright, smacking her head into Kyo's with considerable force.

They both sat in silence for a second, staring at each other with confusion. Then Tohru exploded. 'AH!! IM SORRY!! DID I HARM YOU?! IM SO CARELESS! DO YOU NEED ICE?'

She stopped yelling when she saw Kyo laughing. 'You're sucha weirdo. Just go downstairs to Momiji before he comes up here with his excited self.'

Tohru smiled. 'Okay! You should come watch Mogeta with us later, Kyo-kun! It would be fun!'

Kyo returned the smile. 'Yeah. Maybe later. I think I'm gonna stay out here for a bit. It's kinda nice. Anyways, Kagura's on her way and I don't wanna be around for that.'

'Toooohruuu!'

'See? Told you. He's waiting and I think the show started already' said Kyo, waving her away.

Luckily for Kyo, Tohru was already halfway through the window, with an overly excited Momiji waiting.

XxxXxxXxxX

'Momiji-kun!'

Momiji bounced up to Tohru, smiling widely from ear to ear. 'Hurry, Tohru! The show is about to start! Oh, I _do_ hope Shigure isn't hogging the television..'

The two of them walked to the tv, simply joyful. 'By the way, Tohru, I think Yuki wanted to talk to you. He asked me where you were, so I asked Kyo, but he asked Shigure, and he said you were on the roof! And I'm not allowed in any places where I could potentially injure myself, so I asked Kyo to go find you, and he went, but then he didn't come back! So then _I_ was looking for you, but you came through the window and found me! It's funny how things work out, huh?'

Tohru hadn't caught a word that Momiji had said, so she just nodded her head happily. All she knew was that she would have to go find Yuki after Mogeta was over. 'Thanks, Momiji-kun!'

An hour later, Tohru rose from her spot in front of the television. 'Wow! That was a great show, Momiji! Thanks for telling me it was on!'

Momiji smiled innocently. 'No problem, Tohru! You should probably go find Yuki now..'

'Ah, yes! He's probably in his room. I'll go find out what he wanted. See you later!'

Tohru walked up the stairs and headed for Yuki's room, but she heard crashing coming from the front door, followed by Shigure's groans. _Looks like Kagura broke the house again..she's most likely looking for Kyo-kun.._

Then she bumped into Yuki as he came out of his room. It took him a moment before he realized that it was Tohru that he had bumped into. 'Ah. Sorry, Tohru. Did Momiji tell you that I had some news for you? But that was over an hour ago..'

'Yes, he told me! But we were watching Mogeta! So, what was the news?'

Yuki's eyes immediately darkened. 'Uh..well..Akito..Akito wants us at the main house. Tomorrow. Just you, me, and Kyo.'

Tohru looked frightened. 'Why?'

'I'm not sure..Kureno came by earlier when you were on the roof and told me. He said it was extremely urgent.'

'Oh..okay..I'm going to go tell Kyo-kun, okay?'

Yuki nodded and Tohru walked back to her room to see if Kyo was still on the roof. He was.

Tohru tried to conceal her fear of the next day with a smile. When she thought she was composed enough, she stepped through the window. 'Kyo-kun!'

He lifted his head. 'Eh?'

'Uhm..uh..Akito wants us at the main house tomorrow..he said it was urgent..'

'Well you can tell him I'm not going. Every time I step near the main house, I think Kureno's gonna jump out of a tree and lock me up. Nope. Not going.'

Tohru knew his fear. More than anything, Akito wanted Kyo locked up for good at the main house for the rest of his life, where no one could touch him. Kyo knew that it was going to happen sooner or later, but he was going to put it off for as long as he possibly could. He looked at Tohru, and knew that she was one of the reasons that he didn't want to be locked away. Then a thought entered his mind. _Do I love her..? No. I have the spirit of the cat. I'm not allowed to fall in love._

Tohru tried to brighten him up. 'No, Kyo-kun! It'll be fine! Yuki-kun is going too! And if anything bad happens, we know that Hatori-san is always somewhere nearby!'

This hardly made Kyo feel better. He knew full well that if Akito ordered Hatori to do something, Hatori would have no choice but to obey.

'Uh..well..you see..the thing is, Kyo-kun..well..I really don't feel _safe_ going to the main house..I mean, I know that Yuki-kun will be with me..but..I just..don't feel safe there unless you go too..' said Tohru, her face turned away from Kyo's.

He didn't know how to respond. 'Ah..I..Okay..I guess I'll go..'

'Oh! But you really don't have to go if it makes you feel extremely uncomfortable!'

Kyo quickly put her fears to rest. 'No no. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just not used to people saying..that they need me to feel safe..I'm sorry. I'll go.'


	2. Plotting?

Kyo woke up bright and early the next morning, seeing as he couldn't sleep that well. 'Ugh..this is stupid..I don't see why I agreed to go see freaking Akito anyways..'

And then he heard the voice. 'Because _she_ asked you, child.'

Kyo looked up in surprise, expecting to see Shigure's mocking face in the doorway. Instead, he saw a pretty young woman with flowing orange hair. He was immediately choked up. 'Mom..?'

The lady smiled. 'Yes, Kyo. I appear to you exactly as you remember seeing me last. Before I killed myself.'

Kyo's eyes opened wide. He remembered. Because he was possessed by the vengeful spirit of the cat, his mother had committed suicide. She had always been so kind to him, he had never seen her pain or knew how much she regretted having him. Tears formed in his eyes. _It was my fault..._

'No.'

Kyo's mother's voice shocked Kyo out of his thought. She spoke again. 'It wasn't your fault. You may have been different, but I never regretted you. I didn't kill myself because of you. If it were up to me, I would have continued being your mother and caring for you everyday...but things happened..and..' Her voice trailed off, and she began to fade.

'No! Come back! What happened?! Why did you do it?!'

'Kyo..kun..'

'NO!' Kyo shot forward, his forehead streaming with sweat. He looked around the room and saw the Tohru's worried face looking back at him. In the far corner, he saw Shigure and Yuki, looking rather bored.

Tohru stepped forward and brushed the sweat off of Kyo's forehead. 'Are you alright? You were..screaming..'

'I'm fine. But is there a reason why the entire household feels the need to be in my room this early?'

Yuki walked to the door and opened it. Before disappearing through the doorway, he looked over his shoulder at Kyo and said, "Stupid cat. We're meeting Akito in fifteen minutes.'

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. 'WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME?!'

This time Shigure answered. 'Well you were sleeping like _such_ a little angel, I didn't have the heart to wake you! Oh yeah, and you kept saying _Tohru's_ name, so I figured that _something_ good must be going on in your head.'

Tohru turned a deep shade of red. 'Eeh..I laid out your clothes for you, Kyo-kun! Please hurry! We don't want to be late for Akito!'

Kyo looked away towards the window. _Yeah. Wouldn't wanna be late for my own imprisonment.._ 'Okay. Gimme five minutes and I'll be right down.'

Everyone left the room, but Tohru hesitated at the doorway, as if she were about to turn around and run back into the room. But at the last minute, she continued walking and shut the door behind her. Kyo took a deep breath. He walked to his dresser and opened it, sifting through his clothes to find it. Then there it was. The picture of his mother he had been secretly keeping ever since she had died. 'Ugh.._What_ were you trying to say..?'

XxxXxxXxxX

At the main house, music could be heard softly tinkling from the inner room of one of the apartments. The music was beautiful, but people passing by knew far better than to stop and admire it. If they stopped he might see them. And they feared that.

The seventeen year old boy with jet black hair sat in front of a garden on his porch, watching silently, listening to the calming music. He had his eyes closed, although he knew what was going on around him. An older boy, probably somewhere around twenty, approached him, not seeming to be in any state of fear. He cleared his throat. 'Akito.'

The music stopped, and the black haired boy opened his eyes, but did not look at the newcomer. 'What is it, Kureno?' He seemed strangely calm, almost dazed.

Kureno took one step. 'Yuki and the others will be here soon. I just saw them entering the front gates.'

'Ah, yes. My visitors. Would you be so kind as to lead them into the main room? I will speak to them all together..but then I want some individual conversations.'

'Yes, Akito.'

Kureno departed, leaving Akito back to his music and his garden. A butterfly landed on his hand. Akito sighed. 'That girl..Tohru Honda..I wish to see what makes her so special that she has softened the heart of that _monster_ Kyo..and then..she will be disposed of..'

With one swift movement, Akito rose to his feet and walked away, and the butterfly lay on the ground where he had been, both wings ripped off.

XxxXxxXxxX

'It's so pretty..' said Tohru, as she looked at the trees blooming on either side of the walkway. She was so preoccupied by the beauty of the nature surrounding her, that he failed to notice the tension coming from both Yuki and Kyo.

'I don't like this' grumbled Kyo, half to himself. He refused to allow his body to relax and enjoy the environment. He just had far too many bad memories of this place to be happy. Yuki nodded in agreement.

'For once, I can agree with the stupid cat. There's something wrong about this. Akito's been unusually quiet lately, and if he just called us to a meeting out of nowhere, it must mean that something's up.'

Tohru looked at both boys. 'I wonder..Do you think this is still about me living with you guys and Shigure-san?'

No one had time to answer, because at that moment, Kyo snatched Tohru from the spot where she stood, pushing her to a side. Tohru yelled and hit the ground hard, not knowing what hit her.

"What did you do that for?!' yelled Yuki as he ran over to help Tohru up off the ground.

Kyo's eyes were fixed on the spot where Tohru had previously been standing. There was a knife embedded in the yellow brick path, gleaming threateningly in the sunlight. Tohru's eyes opened wide in shock when she saw this.

'My, my. It seems our little Kyo has some reflexes now!' said Kureno as he approached the three. He bent down to pick up the knife, placing it into a pouch at his waist. 'Aw, don't get so mad, Kyo-kun! I wouldn't have really killed her! I was just testing you. Now if you will, please follow. Akito is waiting.'

Kureno walked away, obviously not caring that Tohru was still on the ground, and Kyo had an unmistakable urge to kill showing in his eyes. Yuki was left with his mouth wide open. He picked Tohru off the ground, being careful not to embrace her, and patted Kyo on the shoulder, indicating to keep his anger hidden for later. After they were composed enough, they followed Kureno down the path, towards the mansion.


	3. The Meeting

'Ah! Tohru-chan! It's so good to see you again! You're looking nice today!'

Coming from someone more desirable, this would have been a pleasant comment. However, when Akito's drawling voice said it, it seemed almost like a bad voiceover. The words and the voice just didn't mix. But Tohru smiled and nodded anyway, not wanting be rude to Akito in his own home.

Kyo's eyes were flitting from Kureno to Akito, monitoring their movements, trying to see any trouble coming. Yuki, on the other hand, seemed quite relaxed. He thought, _I might as well relax. I'm not the one potentially being captured by Akito. But if Tohru were to get hurt.._

He shook the thought away. Tohru would not be injured. Yuki knew that Kyo wouldn't let that happen. But when he looked over at Tohru's face, hiding fear, and Kyo's eyes, not bothering to hide fury, he was uncomfortable. Finally he spoke up. 'Is there a reason why you brought us here, Akito-sama?'

Akito looked at Yuki, his eyes bright with happiness. 'Ah! But why would there need to be a specific reason? I just figured that since I hadn't spoken to you three in a while, I would check up on you. I would have visited the house, but my health sometimes does not permit it..Well! I feel like some tea! Kureno, if you would be so kind?'

'Yes, Akito-sama.'

In a matter of seconds, there was a tea tray set in front of Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki. They looked at each other nervously, but took the tea nonetheless, sipping it slowly, as if it were some sort of poison. Tohru remembered what Kyo had whispered to her as they walked through the massive doors of the mansion.

**XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxX**

Kyo slouched down a little so that he was roughly Tohru's height. They continued to follow Kureno through the winding maze of houses. 'Tohru' he whispered.

She jumped a little, for she had been gazing at the cherry blossom trees and daydreaming a little as they walked. 'Yes, Kyo-kun?'

'I have to tell you something. When we get to Akito, don't say anything that's not necessary. I'm not quite sure what's going on here, but I guarantee that they're going to be looking for us to slip up and say something we're not supposed to. Don't tell him that we're friends. I want you to act like you hate me.'

Tohru was shocked. She looked up at Kyo. 'Act like I hate you? But why? I could never hate you, Kyo-kun!'

He looked like he was about to explain, but then he saw Kureno turn his head slightly and look over his shoulder at Tohru. Before they turned into the mansion entryway, he only had time to whisper one last word.

'Please.'

**XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxX**

Tohru dared to take a peek over the side of her tea cup at Akito. The minute she did it, she wished she hadn't. He was staring dead at her. She let out a small squeak and seemed to sink lower to the floor, as if trying to make herself invisible.

But it was too late. She had caught Akito's attention. _She intrigues me..I think I may have a change of plans for her..But that would involve getting rid of that troublesome Kyo first.._

'Well I think it's time I told you why you're _really _here.' said Akito, leaning forward slightly.

Kyo's eyes flashed with rage. 'I knew it! I knew there was a reason why you brought us here! What do you plan to do?!'

At that moment, Akito flashed the most wicked smile that Tohru had ever seen in her entire life. It was a smile full of malice. A smile full of intention to harm others. 'I am engaged to be married!' he announced proudly. There was dead silence throughout the room. Even Kureno, who was standing along the side wall, dropped his tea with a crash, his mouth wide open.

Yuki got over the shock first, clearing his throat and speaking as clearly as he could manage. 'Um..M-may I ask to whom?'

'No! You may not! For that, I need to speak to the three of you individually. And Yuki, since you seem the most interested, I think I shall speak to you first!'

With that, Kureno approached Kyo and Tohru and signaled for them to enter the waiting room until they were called. They looked at each other warily, and slowly got up, leaving the room. Yuki had a look of pure horror on his face. _No! Oh no..no no no..I don't want to be in here alone with him! Ugh, why did I ask?! Oh geez! That means that he's gonna be alone with Tohru later too! Gah!_

_**XxxXxxXxxX**_

Yuki came out several minutes later, not looking at all shaken. He sat down calmly next to Kyo, and motioned for Tohru to go inside to Akito. She nodded nervously and scurried through the doorway. Kyo turned to Yuki. 'Well? Who did he threaten into marrying him?'

'I _really_ think it's better if he tells you himself, cause I was so traumatized I don't think I retained any of the information. Don't worry, though. It's just one of Kureno's girls that he lured in.'

Kyo turned away. 'I hope Tohru will be alright..' _And remember not to say anything stupid..._

_**XxxXxxXxxX**_

'Well, Tohru-chan! I bet you're wondering who I'm set to marry, huh? Well I'll be quick. I didn't really need to call you in here, because you probably don't know her, but her name is Karunai Sohma. She is very close to me and well..I've fallen in love with her!'

Tohru smiled widely, happy for Akito. _Maybe he's finally changed!_

'That's wonderful, Akito-sama! I'm sure she is a wonderful girl.'

'Ah, she is, Tohru..she is..But enough about me! How are things with Kyo and Yuki?'

She froze and gulped. A feeling of panic washed over her, and she had difficulty breathing all of a sudden. Kyo's warning echoed in her mind. _Don't say anything you don't have to. Act like you hate me_.

'Well, things are good with Yuki..but..Kyo..I don't like him.'

Akito gasped. 'What? You don't like Kyo? But how can that be?'

'I don't know..he's obnoxious and all he ever wants to do it beat Yuki.' Tohru sneered. 'It's never gonna sink into him that he's far too weak.'

'Well that's a shame. Ah, well. You may not have to deal with that much longer.'


	4. The Date

As Tohru walked from the room, she had a feeling of unmistakable dread. _You may not have to worry about that for much longer_.

Those were his words. Akito's words. 'No..Now look what I've done. Akito's gonna do something to Kyo..' she worried out loud. But as she entered the waiting room where Kyo and Yuki were, she straightened herself out and put on her usual cheery face.

They looked up and she walked in, with Kyo rising immediately to meet her. 'Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?'

'No, Kyo-kun. He was rather pleasant, actually! You and Yuki made him sound so much worse than he actually is!'

Kyo smiled nervously. 'Yeah..well..I guess it's my turn now.' The minute he turned away from Tohru, the smile was replaced by a look of worry. _Time to face the music._

He walked through the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. He saw Akito at the far end of the room, looking out of a window at his little garden. He didn't look away as Kyo approached and took his seat. They sat like that for a while, Kyo's eyes wandering around the room, while Akito remained staring at the garden.

He then spoke. 'The garden is very beautiful, is it not?'

Kyo looked up in surprise. He turned his head to look at the flowers in the garden. 'Yeah, I guess it's pretty..'

'Kind of like Tohru-chan, eh?'

'W-what?'

Akito looked away from the garden. 'You heard me. The garden is like Tohru-chan. Very beautiful..and you can't have her.'

'Stop saying her name like you know her. You really don't. And yes, she is beautiful. What is it to y-' Kyo stopped halfway through the word, with sudden realization hitting him. 'Who are you going to marry?'

Akito smiled again.

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

Kyo stepped out of the room, and surprisingly enough, he was smiling. Tohru was shocked. 'Kyo-kun? Are you okay? Is something wrong?'

'No, weirdo. But I have some news. You and me are going on a date tonight.'

There was silence within the room. Kyo was still smiling.

Tohru was still not comprehending Kyo's sudden change in mood, but she accepted it. 'Okay, Kyo-kun!'. He turned and walked towards the front door.

'Oh yeah. Akito said we could leave now and that we should come back soon. Like that's gonna happen.'

As Kyo and Tohru walked away, Yuki watched them, his eyes clouded with sadness. He looked behind him and saw Akito in the other room, staring at the garden again. After a moment, he turned and followed the other two. _Poor Tohru..She has no idea what she's about to become part of.._

He sighed and walked out into the trees.

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

'Weirdo! Get a move on! The reservations are for 7!' yelled Kyo as he paced up and down the hall. He kept looking nervously at his watch, wishing Tohru would hurry up whatever she was doing. The truth was, she was upstairs getting tips from Kagura, who was there without Kyo knowing.

Both girls were sitting on Tohru's bed, talking as fast as they could. 'Okay! Now. You should try to eat as much as possible _without_ getting sick, because Kyo likes a girl with an appetite, but if you get sick then everything will be icky, and we don't want that...'

Tohru nodded fiercely at everything that Kagura said, trying her best to remember. When she, Kyo, and Yuki had returned from the main house, Tohru had gone upstairs, only to find Kagura listening to her CDs. Torhu told her everything that had happened at Akito's, including the name of Akito's new fiancee, and Kyo's sudden date. Kagura thought for a moment. 'Huh. I've never heard of Karunai Sohma, and I thought I pretty much knew everyone in the family! And if she's so close to Akito, I wonder how come I've never seen her at any of the banquets. Ah well! If Akito's getting married, maybe he'll back off of us a little.'

'Yeah' said Tohru. 'But what if..what is Kyo-kun tries to kiss me?! What do I do?!'

This question was followed by a long moment of giggling from Kagura. 'Silly! You let him! That's the whole point of the date! Kind of. Now you better get downstairs. He sounds like he's about to come up here, and I think it would be better if he didn't know I was here.'

'Okay! Thank you sooo much, Kagura-chan!'

**XxxXMeanwhileXxxXMeanwhileXxxXMeanwhileXxxXMeanwhileXxxXMeanwhileXxxX**

Shigure and Yuki exchanged amused glances. They then turned their attention towards the incredibly nervous Kyo standing before them. Yuki sighed. 'Well well well. I would have _never_ thought I would see you in such a pathetic looking situation. You have no clue what you're doing, do you?'

Kyo looked at him sadly. 'Not even a little bit. And I'm only admitting that to you so you'll help me.'

'Ahhh! Does that mean _I_ can help too?! Oh I'm so excited! Our little Kyo-kun and our Tohru-chan going on their first _date_! This is such a wonderful evening in the Sohma household!' Shigure jumped up and down repeatedly, squealing like an elementary school girl. 'You need flowers! Wait right here while I go get some from outside!'

'NO! SHIGURE! GET BACK IN HERE, NOW!' yelled Kyo. 'YOU MAY _NOT_, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, HELP! Gah. Too late..'

There was an awkward silence as Yuki nodded his head slowly. 'Really now. You should know better than to let Shigure have any knowledge of these things.'

Kyo looked away. 'I know, I know. But this time I _really_ don't wanna mess up. Especially considering what's gonna happen..'

'You're not really going to let Akito get away with that, are you?!'

Kyo looked up in surprise at Yuki's firm tone. 'If I don't, then things are just gonna get worse for her. He'll make sure her life is miserable. At least like this, she can forget about me.'

'No! Stupid cat! She-' Yuki's argument was cut short when Tohru came into the room.

'I'm ready, Kyo-kun! Let's go!'

He got up. 'Yeah. Let's go.'

With tension in the air, which of course, Tohru didn't notice, Kyo walked out of the room. Shigure came bounding back in. He bounced up to Kyo and shoved a bouquet of flowers in his face. 'Here! Make good use of them cause they cost me five dollars!'

'Wait..You bought these?! But you were only gone for two minutes!'

'He didn't _buy_ them. He called _me_ so _I_ could buy them and _he_ could take the credit. Why I agreed, I will probably never know.'

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. From the shadow of the doorway, Hatori entered, with his hair over his eye, as usual. Shigure whined. 'Haa-ssaaaannn! I thought you would let them think that _I_ bought them!'

Hatori shrugged. 'You really are too simple, Shigure.'

Throughout this entire thing, Tohru was standing off in a corner, perfectly content with listening to the conversation as it unfolded. Hatori noticed. 'Kyo, isn't about time you gave Tohru her flowers and got going?'

Kyo scrambled off of the chair he has sunk into and grabbed the flowers from Shigure. He then took a deep breath and walked over to where Tohru stood. He held out the flowers. 'These are for you...'

A deep scarlet color was seen issuing forth from Tohru's cheeks. 'T-thank y-you, Kyo-kun!'

'Now you two go out and don't forget to have a good time!' said Shigure as he shoved Tohru and Kyo out the door.

Tohru turned to face Kyo. 'T-the flowers are very nice, Kyo-kun. Thank you. Now let's go!'

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

There was an uncomfortable silence as Kyo and Tohru walked down the empty street towards the restaurant where Kyo had made reservations for dinner. Tohru decided to break the silence. 'Erm..Akito-san told me who he's marrying! She must be a very nice girl, this Karunai.'

At this, Kyo froze where he stood. 'What was that name..?' he asked slowly.

Tohru stopped walking also. 'He said her name was Karunai!'

'That's who he said he was marrying?'

'Yes!'

'Tohru..She..'

Tohru was utterly confused at this point. She looked at Kyo's face for some hint of what was going on that she didn't know about, but all his face held was a considerable amount of sadness. 'Is..Is something wrong?'

A tear slid down his cheek. 'He lied, Tohru. He's not marrying anyone named Karunai.' Then he became angry. 'HE LIED! TOHRU, HE PLANS TO-' His anger was stopped by a strong hand grasping his throat. Tohru gasped in surprise and horror.

A man dressed in all black with a mask on had Kyo held against a wall by his throat, and it was obvious that Kyo could not breathe. He kicked one leg up, sending the attacker flying against the opposite brick wall. He yelled to Tohru, 'Run! Run and don't you dare stop!'

But Tohru was rooted to where she stood. Her eyes were wide with fear and she although she kept screaming at herself to move, to do something, nothing happened. Kyo kept yelling as the attacker rose to his feet. 'What are you doing?! Go! Run back to the house!'

The attacker pulled a throwing knife out of the pouch at his waist and took aim at Kyo. The knife was thrown. Tohru screamed as she regained movement of her body. She ran towards Kyo at full speed and threw herself in front of him.

The knife met skin.


	5. Sacrifice and Plan

Yuki lay on the ground, cold and still. His light purple hair was wild-looking, and he lay at Kyo's feet, where he had pushed Tohru out of the way at the very last moment. She pushed the hair out of her face and stared down at Yuki, trembling. 'No..No..'

There was a shuffling sound as the attacker moved forward again. He was heading for Tohru. Just when she thought he was about to strike her in the head, he disappeared. But he reappeared a moment later, right behind Kyo. He whispered in his ear, 'If I can't kill you, then I'll just take you away.'

With that, the attacker grabbed Kyo around the waist and disappeared again, leaving Tohru on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. She crawled over to where Yuki lay, shaking him slightly. 'Yuki-kun..? Yuki-kun! No..No! Y-you need to be okay! _You need to be okay!_'

'Tohru..'

She looked down quickly. Yuki was moving. 'Yuki-kun! Are you okay?!'

He looked incredibly weak. 'N-no..Tohru..I don't have a lot of time..I have to tell you whats going on..with..Akito..'

Tohru blinked. 'Akito-san? What does he have to do with this? Kyo's gone! That man took him!'

'Tohru..Akito..loves you..He..told..Kyo..that if he didn't leave you soon..he would kill you..He thought..that if he couldn't have you..no one could..So..Kyo..he figured that he would spend as much time as possible with you..before..Akito locked..him..up..But..when you mentioned Karunai..Kyo decided to tell you..about the plan..but..now..' Yuki stopped to cough up some blood onto the pavement. "I-I'm sorry..Tohru...'

'No! Yuki-kun! Come back! Don't die! Please, please, _please_ don't die!'

But it was too late. Yuki had closed his eyes and taken his final breath. As he faded away, Tohru could do nothing but watch helplessly. Even if she had the strength to carry Yuki to Hatori, it would be too late. Finally he stopped moving altogether. Tohru took his hand. It was cold.

It began to rain. Tohru was alone. In the middle of an empty street. With a dead body. She started to cry. _W-what do I do?! I have to go to the house..I'll carry Yuki. Yes. I have to. I can't leave him here. Not after he gave his life to save me.._

So Tohru lifted Yuki off the ground with a lot of effort and began the long trek home. Alone.

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

'Haa-san! You misunderstood me! I just meant that if Kyo and Tohru get married, it will be quite difficult for them to have children because of the family! I meant no perverted meanings!'

Hatori rolled his eyes. 'Sure Shigure. Okay.'

Kagura, Shigure, and Hatori sat around the table talking. There was a knock at the door. Kagura stood. 'I'll get it, Shii-san.'

She disappeared into the hallway and the door was heard being opened. 'Oh! Tohru-chan! What are you doing back so early? And where's...OH MY GOD!'

Hatori was next to her in a heartbeat. He looked through the doorway and into the pouring rain. Standing there, drenched to the bone, was Tohru. She was crying, with every sob heaving her shoulders up and down. But that wasn't what made Kagura scream. On Tohru's back, with the knife still fixed in his heart, was Yuki's body. He reeled back in horror. 'T-Tohru! Come inside! What happened?! Yuki! My God! What happened to Yuki?!'

Shigure heard the commotion and stepped into the hallway. He took one long look at Yuki's lifeless face and lifted him off of Tohru's back. She was still crying. Kagura guided her into the kitchen. 'C-come in h-here, Tohru-chan. Y-you don't have to s-see that anymore.' She was visibly shaken from seeing Yuki's body. 'I-it's okay now, T-tohru-chan. P-please stop c-crying..'

The sobbing died down a little bit and Tohru stopped shaking as much. Hatori walked in and sat down. He sighed deeply and then addressed Tohru. 'Please..Tohru..Can you tell us what happened?'

So Tohru did. She would take little hiccups every few words, but she told them what had happened, ending with when the attacker had taken away Kyo. Hatori sighed again. 'Considering what Yuki told you about Akito..It's very likely that the attacker was..'

Tohru's eyes opened wide as she remembered.

**XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashback!XxxXFlashbackXxxX**

_Kyo's eyes were fixed on the spot where Tohru had previously been standing. There was a knife embedded in the yellow brick path, gleaming threateningly in the sunlight. Tohru's eyes opened wide in shock when she saw this._

'_My, my. It seems out little Kyo has some reflexes now!' said Kureno as he approached the three. He bent down to pick up the knife, placing it into a pouch at his waist._

_The attacker pulled a throwing knife out of the pouch at his waist and took aim at Kyo. The knife was thrown. Tohru screamed as she regained movement of her body._

**XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxXEndFlashback!XxxX**

Tohru's eyes narrowed. 'Kureno.'

Shigure entered the room. 'Unfortunately, yes. I figured that something was up with Akito. He hadn't bothered us in quite some time..I should have known..and poor Kyo! He wanted what was best for you, Tohru..He didn't want Akito to kill you..'

There was a long silence. Kagura spoke. 'Well. Then we're just going to have to go free Kyo, aren't we?'

Every head turned towards Kagura, looking at her like she was insane. Shigure was horrified. 'What?! Kagura, he'll have you dead before you even get _close_ to Kyo!'

'Not if we're smart, he won't. We could make a plan. And think of it this way, if we don't free Kyo, then Akito's gonna come after Tohru, cause I'm pretty sure he knows that she knows he took Kyo.'

Hatori closed his eyes. 'She's right. We have to do this. So listen up..'

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

'Brilliant, Hatori!'

Kagura then turned to Tohru, who had stopped crying and now sat there with a solemn look on her face. 'Are you gonna be okay with your part, Tohru-chan?'

'Yes, Kagura-chan. Ill be okay. And I promise not to mess it up! Especially since you guys are gonna need some time.'

Shigure grinned. 'Okay. We need some sleep. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we put our plan into action. Haa-san, when you go back to the main house, tell Akito that Yuki's dead, but don't act like you know anything else. He trusts you the most, next to Kureno, so he probably won't question you.'

'Okay. Then I'm off. Tohru, if you need anything during the night, Kagura will be staying in your room with you, so don't worry.'

'Thank you, Hatori-san.'

With that, he walked briskly out of the room and towards the door. There was silence in the room. 'Well, we should get sleep, Tohru. You've been through a lot today..and..we have a big day tomorrow.' said Kagura.

'Yes. Good night, Shigure-san..'

Tohru didn't sleep at first, the image of Yuki's lifeless face staring back at her etched in her mind. Eventually she became tired and fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up determined. She would _not_ let Yuki's sacrifice go to waste. She would free Kyo.


	6. Revelations

Tohru stood in front of the large doors, breathing deeply. She was trying her best to remember all of Hatori's instructions. At the moment, she was _beyond_ nervous, but she knew she had to do this. Every few breaths, she would glance up at the doors, meaning to go inside and put the plan into action, but something would keep her outside, still breathing. Shigure appeared at her side.

'Tohru? Will you be alright doing this alone? If you want, Kagura can go inside with you. I'm sure Hatori and I can manage by ourselves.'

'No. I'll be okay. Don't worry, Shigure-san. I know I have to do this right.'

Shigure nodded and then went back to his hiding spot with Hatori and Kagura, both of whom gave her a reassuring look before disappearing. Tohru took one last breath and walked toward the doors, a determined look in her eyes. _I will be fine. I will be fine._

The doors opened, and Tohru walked inside, continuing forward until she came to the familiar room. The room where everything had began. This was the room where she had been lied to, deceived. _I should have known better. I should have known that he could never change for the better._

And there, sitting in his regular spot by the window, looking at the garden, was Akito Sohma. Tohru sickened upon seeing his expression. He looked amused. Maybe even happy. She coughed lightly. 'Akito-san..'

He looked towards her. 'Tohru-chan. I'm so very sorry to hear about Yuki-kun's death. Hatori-san told me about it when he returned from visiting Shigure-san. It's terrible the way he was _murdered_. I heard from Hatori that he ran out to give you your wallet after you left on a _date_! But I thought to myself that that _couldn't_ be true, considering how much you hated _Kyo_.'

Tohru fliched slightly as he emphasized the last word. Akito reached out and took Tohru's hand, sending an unwanted chill down her spine. She was fighting the urge to take back her hand and run out of the room. _No. I can't. Not if I want to free Kyo. I just wish that Shigure would hurry up and give me the sign already so I can get out of here. But while I'm here, I might as well find out something…_

'Akito-san..Who is Karunai Sohma?' asked Tohru, trying to put on her best innocent face, which wasn't exactly hard, considering, well, she was Tohru.

For a moment, Akito's face held a sign of panic. Then he regained his composure and addressed Tohru. 'Tohru-chan…I think someone must have told you something. Tell me what you know.' As he said this, there was a whistling noise outside. Tohru glanced sideways towards the window. _The first sign. I don't have much time._

'I know that you're not really marrying her.'

'Well, Tohru-chan. It seems that you're far smarter than you let on. Well then. Yes, you are correct. I am _not_ marrying Karunai. You know who I'm really marrying, Tohru-chan?'

Tohru took a deep breath. 'Yes, Akito-san. I _would_ like to know. If that's alright with you, I mean.'

'You don't have to worry. It's perfectly fine with me. And if you must know, I plan on marrying _you_.'

A gasp could be heard in the room. Tohru placed her hand over her mouth. 'W-what? Me? B-but..'

Akito smiled. 'Yes. You. You may have never noticed, but there's a reason why I haven't had you killed yet. Normally, anyone who gets too close to a Sohma is killed immediately. But you, my little flower, are a special case. You see, Tohru-chan, you have a gift. You have the gift to make people _change_. And I believe that I can use that gift to my advantage.'

'But why? Why are you doing this, then? Why did you tell Kyo-kun that you would kill me if he didn't cooperate? _Why did you take him away?!_' yelled Tohru, rising to her feet. She glared down at Akito, with a hate that she had never known before.

He rose also, towering over Tohru. '_Why?!_ Because I _hate_ him. Because it's _his_ fault that _you_ can't be _mine_! And if _I_ couldn't have you, then I would make sure that _no one_ could!'

Tohru heard a shuffling from somewhere above her head, followed by a loud thump. _The second sign. I have about five minutes._

She spun around, as if she were going to walk towards the door, and when Akito flashed forward to grab her, she spun around again and hit him on the side of the head, sending him flying to the floor. She then walked to where he lay, obviously in shock. 'Now you will get up. And you will tell me who Karunai Sohma really is.'

Tohru backed away slightly, expecting Akito to retaliate. Much to her surprise, he did as she had demanded. He stood up straight in front of her, and stared out of the window. 'Karunai Sohma..What a wonderful woman she was…'

'_Was_?'

'Yes. Was. She's dead. Killed herself. Do you know who she was? She was his mother. _Kyo's_ mother.'

Tohru gasped. 'K-kyo-kun's _mother_? B-but then..Why? Why did she kill herself?!'

Then Akito grinned. 'Because she didn't have a choice. It was either she kill herself, or I kill her beloved son. I see how you're looking at me. But I assure you, _I_ am not the monster here.'

'_No_. You are the monster. You wanted to ruin his happiness, didn't you?! You saw that his mother loved him, and you couldn't bear to see _him_ be loved, despite what he was. Am I right?'

'I suppose so. And you're probably thinking that that's why I want to marry you, huh? You're thinking that I just want you because you want him. But that's not what it is. Like I said, you have the gift to change people. And I want to be changed. You see the way I am. I kill people, Tohru. And I enjoy it. But I want to stop. I want you to change me with your kindness.'

There was an uncomfortable silence as Tohru stared at Akito with a shocked expression on her face. And then Kyo, Shigure, and Hatori burst in, ready for a fight.

**XxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxXEarlierXxxX**

Kyo lay on his cot, staring at the ceiling. There was nothing he could do now. Tohru would marry Akito, and he would rot in this room until he died. _Great_.

'Kyo.'

He lifted his head, expecting to see Kureno, there to ridicule him some more over how he had lost Tohru forever. Instead he saw his mother, standing at the opposite end of the room. 'Mom! You came back! What was it? What were you trying to say before?'

Karunai smiled sadly at her son. 'Kyo, I didn't kill myself because of what you were. Rather, I embraced it. Even though you were cursed, I took that in. I loved you more than I have ever loved anyone else in my life. You were my son, and I was proud of you.'

'Then why?! Why did you leave me?!'

'Because I had to. In order for you to live, _I_ had to die. Akito wanted to make you as miserable as he possibly could. So one day he called me into a meeting and told me that if I didn't kill myself, he would make sure you died within a week. And I couldn't bear the thought of you dying, just because I selfishly wanted to keep my own life. But you must not seek revenge on Akito. He is trying to change, and he will eventually receive what is coming to him. Trust me.'

Kyo began to tear, looking at his mother, finally realizing that he was never truly alone. Then he heard footsteps behind him. He turned, and saw Hatori standing near the bars of his cell. 'She's right, you know.'

'Hatori? You..You can see her?'

Hatori smiled. 'Yes, Kyo. I can see her. And I know that she's always been watching over you. But right now, we have to get you out of this cell, because Shigure just told me that things are beginning to get violent with Tohru and Akito.'

'What?! Tohru's here?! And she's with _Akito_?! What were you thinking?!'

Kagura appeared next to Hatori. 'I just gave the second signal to Tohru-chan. I heard yelling from downstairs, so I think we should speed things up here. I-' And Kagura spotted the ghost of Karunai floating in the corner of the cell. 'K-Karunai..c-chan..'

And then she disappeared, a smile on her face. Now she had the knowledge and reassurance that her son was well cared for. He finally had people to watch out for him. _And Tohru. I know. She will never leave his side, for as long as they live._

'Haa-san! Our little Tohru just physically injured Akito! I _really_ think we should go _now_ before Kureno gets there!' yelled Shigure as he ran down the hall towards Hatori and Kagura. 'I've got the key to get Kyo out!'

The cell door was opened and Kyo was freed. Before anyone could say another word, he was speeding towards the stairs, determined to get there before Akito could do any harm to Tohru. Hatori and Shigure ran next to him, with the same thought. They burst into Akito's room to find Tohru and Akito facing each other, Akito with a look of sadness, and Tohru with one of surprise.


	7. Beginnings and Endings

Tohru looked towards the door, the look of shock still upon her face. She saw Kyo, and inside she felt happy, but her expression remained the same. Looking back at Akito, she gulped and spoke. 'A-Akito...I..B-But..'

'Tohru?! What did he do to you?!' yelled Kyo, taking a step forward. His eyes were flashing with rage, and he had his fists up, just in case something happened.

Akito looked back at Tohru, the overwhelming sadness still in his eyes. 'I understand, Tohru-chan. You don't want to help me. I've just done too many things to be forgiven, I suppose. It's fine. Go with Kyo.'

A wave of sympathy washed over her. _He really is trying to change.._

'Akito-san..I can still help you. You can still change, you know. You just have to try..I know you can..'

'No, Tohru-chan. My heart..It's too deep in evil. It's my part of the zodiac curse. Everyone else lives with at least _some_ good in their hearts, but me..I live with nothing but spite and hatred until I die.'

Tears began to form in Tohru's eyes. She truly felt sorry for him. It was impossible for her to even imagine the horror that must come with being plagued with such hate. 'No! You learned to love _me_, didn't you?! So there _must _be some type of good inside of you! And you wanted to change! That has to count for something!'

'I didn't love you. I wanted to use you for my own selfish ways. I wanted to learn from you how to be happy and how to live life as I should. But now I know. This is how I'm supposed to live my life. It's my destiny, and I cannot contradict it, no matter how hard I try. Thank you for trying, Tohru-chan. But I'm afraid that it's too late for me, even with _your_ help. Now please, I need some peace. Go home with Kyo. Be happy.'

Hatori and Shigure appeared at Tohru's side, each taking a hand. 'Tohru-chan. Come on. We should go home.' said Shigure softly.

She tried to struggle. 'But..'

Akito's eyes turned fierce and angry. He stood at his full height, towering far over Tohru. Out of his back pocket he pulled a throwing knife. In a single movement of his hand, they knife was thrown, landing on the wall beside Tohru, mere inches from her head. 'I said _go_!'

Then Tohru realized that he was right. As she turned her head slightly to look at the knife, she saw it. It wasn't his fault that he was filled with hate. In order for every other member of the zodiac to live happily, Akito had to take in all of the hate and keep it. It was his job, and Tohru saw that she had no right to try and change it. With a little bow of her head, she turned and walked out of the room, with Kyo right next to her, and Kagura, Shigure, and Hatori taking up the rear. The large double doors closed behind them with a solemn thump as they retreated back to their home.

**_XxxXxxXxxX_**

Hours later, Kyo sat on his bed, staring at the small velvet box that lay in his hand. He kept opening and closing the box, staring at the diamond ring hidden inside. He would repeatedly get up, only to sigh and sit back down. _I have to do this eventually. Just go. The more you think about it, the more nervous you're gonna be. Just do it!_

But it wasn't as easy. He broke out in a nervous sweat, before standing up one final time. He glanced at the picture of his mother that now stood on his nightstand, where he could see it always. 'Which me luck, mom. Here I go.'

**_OoOoOoO_**

_Akito rose from where he had been sitting for the past few hours, ever since they had left. Kureno rose with him. 'Going somewhere?' he said, as gently as he could manage._

'_Yes. Out to the garden. You don't need to follow me. I won't be there long.'_

_Akito had said that with great calmness in his voice, but as he walked slowly out the door and into the garden, Kureno immediately knew what was really going on. He thought about running after Akito, convincing him not to do it, but he knew it was just a waste. What Akito wanted, Akito got. Well, most of the time, anyway._

**_OoOoOoO_**

Kyo walked nervously to the door, pausing for a deep breath. He raised his shaking hand to the wooden door and knocked softly, part of him hoping that she was either asleep or not there. His heart did a cartwheel when he heard her voice.

'Yes?'

'Uh..Tohru? C-Can I come in? I..I need to ask you something _really_ important.'

The door opened...

**_OoOoOoO_**

_...and Akito stepped lightly onto the porch where he had spent many of his days and nights, staring at the stars, wondering why they shone so bright for him when he didn't deserve it._ _Or looking at his beautiful garden, wondering how his own self, engulfed in darkness, could have created it._

_A small flower fell from one of the nearby trees, landing perfectly on his hand. He sat down in his regular spot, and closed his eyes to imagine. To imagine a place where maybe he didn't kill, where maybe there was no hate for him, where maybe he could learn to love. Where maybe he could become like Tohru. _

_He reached into his pocket..._

**_OoOoOoO_**

...and took out the velvet box, handling it with the utmost care. Tohru seemed puzzled. 'What's that, Kyo-kun?'

He took another breath and opened the box, revealing the ring inside. She gasped. 'Tohru. This ring is for you.'

'For me? But it's so pretty! And it sparkles..'

'Tohru?' He stepped closer to her and took her hand, causing her to look into his eyes, searching for hints of what was going on.

'Yes, Kyo-kun?'

He squeezed her hand tighter, and realization hit Tohru.

A tear formed in her eye...

**_OoOoOoO_**

_...and slid silently down his cheek. He was crying. For the first and last time in Akito's life, he was crying. And it wasn't because he had killed dozens. It wasn't because he would never change. _

_It was because he was happy. For once, he was happy. He knew what awaited him, and he was happy. For him, and for all that he would leave. The blade in his hand was just the way to get there, to the place he had always dreamed of, even as a child._

_He stretched out his arm..._

**_OoOoOoO_**

...and offered her the gleaming ring. With his heart beating a million times a second, he looked deeply into her eyes. Then Kyo asked. The question that would forever seal them together. 'Will you marry me?'

Tohru was speechless. She kept looking rapidly from Kyo, to the ring, and back to Kyo again. Tears were now falling from her eyes, no matter how much she tried to hold them back. This was it. _Speak, Tohru! Speak! Ack! Why can't I speak?! Why can't I tell him yes?! Okay. Here I go. Okay. Say it. Say it. SAY IT!_

She spoke...

**_OoOoOoO_**

..._and the words came naturally. It was the song that he had remembered from when he was a little boy, finally learning of his place in the zodiac curse. He closed his eyes._

_And angels will see_

_what has become of me_

_and how much I have changed._

_They will admire_

_all the ways I have tired_

_of the person who was me._

_The joy in my heart_

_is just a small part_

_of the way it was meant to be._

_In this beautiful place_

_with melody and grace,_

_I can hurt myself no more._

_Akito raised the blade, aiming carefully, and said goodbye to everything he had hated. He felt sorrow in his heart for the people he had hurt, and hoped that he would be forgiven. The blade moved forward as..._

**_OoOoOoO_**

...she inhaled and said, 'Yes. Kyo-kun. I will marry you!'

And that was it. That was what is took to break the zodiac curse between Tohru and Kyo. For the rest of their lives, they would be able to hold each other and hug, because they truly loved each other. To see if they had done it, Tohru flung herself into Kyo's waiting arms, crying in joy when he did not transform. They would finally be happy, but as they embraced their new life of joy, Tohru couldn't keep her thoughts from drifting back to Akito...

**_OoOoOoO_**

_...as he lay still and cold, his hand still on the blade, where it had entered his chest and pierced his heart. He was not dead yet, and with his dying breath, he muttered 'If I cannot change..then I will go somewhere where..I cannot harm anyone..'_

_And then he was completely still, his eyes gazing out into nothing. The only hint that gave his intentions away was the look of pure happiness that graced his face. It was the look of happiness that she had given him, and because of her, he would finally be alright. _

_The one thing that everyone had thought impossible had finally happened. Akito was happy, and he would remain that way forever._

* * *

the end!!! i hope everyone liked it!! pleaasee rate and review!! and if anyone has any requests for my next fanfic, i will happily take them and try to do my best!! thanks!

and if anyone is wondering about the last part with Kyo and Tohru, i made the story so that if a zodiac member and a regular human were to truly love each other, they would be able to hug and stuff without any transforming. that was really the only thing i could think of, cause think about it! how do you think other zodiac members are born if a present zodiac member and a human can't hug or anything? it kinda makes sense...


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